Both make a strong case for why EU expats should vote for Labour on June 4.

Watch them by clicking here

“Get out the International Vote” was held by the Labour Party in close co-operation with the UK Branches of PES sister parties.

Why this election matters
 
Polling across Europe shows that this election will have a significantly lower voter-participation than the European election 5 years ago. Elections with such low turn-out favour the parties on the political extreme. In the UK the parties benefiting from a low turn-out are the very euro-sceptic or euro-phobic Libertas, UKIP UK Independence Party and on the outright racist end of the spectrum the BNP British National Party.
 
The far-right British National Party could win its first seats in the European Parliament if they claim just 8% of the vote! 
 
Why EU ex-pats matter in this election
 
The higher the turn-out the more votes are required for extreme parties to get elected.
 
With over 800,000 EU ex-pats on the electoral register across the UK and around 340,000 in London alone, EU citizens could have real impact on the outcome of these elections. Your vote counts is not just a slogan.

EU citizens have the option to vote in the European elections either in their home country or in the country they live in. Usually, about 80% of EU ex-pats vote in the country they live in not the country they are citizens of in European elections.

However, in the UK EU-expacts are four times less likely to be on the electoral register than UK citizens – which is why it is important for you to make sure you are on the register, and confirmed to vote here in the forthcoming election.

How you can Vote

EU ex-pats who are already on the electoral register will have to fill in and sign an additional form. This ‘European Parliament voter declaration form’ asks EU ex-pats to confirm that they will vote in the UK and not in their home country. This is to prevent individuals from voting twice, once in each country.

This is new for the 2009 election, no such form was necessary in 2004. Councils have already sent out these forms to EU ex-pats on the register. If you have not received it, contact your council and ask for it.

EU ex-pats not on the register will have to fill in a voter registration form as well.

The deadline for the registration and EP voter declaration is May 19, 2009.

For further information on this and to download the form please follow the links below. http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/PDF/6079%20European_Union_Form_lowres.pdf http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/register_to_vote/eu_citizens_form.aspx

Voter Registration Deadline: May 19 

Get on the electoral register

Chose to vote in the UK

Help spread this message

PS: For any additional questions, comments or to offer further support please write to lme.lse@hotmail.co.uk

EU voter phone bank flickr slide show

Jointly organised by London Labour & the Labour Movement for Europe
The aim is to get EU-expats to register on the electoral register and to vote in the European elections. May 19 is registration deadline. EU expats are 4 times more likely to participate in elections in their country of residence than the country they are citizens of. An increased EU voter participation will help decrease the chances of the extreme right BNP to win a London seat and also weaken other euro-sceptic and euro-phobic parties like UKIP, Libertas and the Tories. Training and a script will be provided.

Dates:        May 6, 12 and 14, 2009

Please also RSVP  on facebook (links below) and to lme.lse@hotmail.co.uk

May  6 http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=189567160528#/event.php?eid=75261404817

May 12 http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=189567160528#/event.php?eid=78355536431

May 14 http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=189567160528#/event.php?eid=189567160528

If you are an EU expat living in the UK and want to vote in the UK (rather than in the EU member-state, you are a citizen of) in the European Elections in June 2009 you will need to do two things. 1) Make sure you are on the electoral register. 2) You need to complete the European Parliament voter registration form and send it to the Electoral Services of your local Council.

Deadline for Electoral Registration & European Election form is May 19

For further information provided by the Electoral Commission click on title or full text of this entry.